Starting last night, continuing today and concluding on Tuesday, readers in the States can tune into the FOX network and, in the sort of corporate synergy that gives Rupert Murdoch a warm glow in his special place, see three exclusive 60-second TV spots promoting the hell out of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Thankfully, the first of these – which aired during last night’s Family Guy – has already shown up online.
This one, entitled Outcasts, juxtaposes the adult Logan’s ordeal at the hands of the Weapon X programme – when his skeleton is laced with unbreakable adamantium, a procedure which looks as painful here as it did in **X-Men 2 **– with flashbacks to his childhood in the Victorian era, when a traumatic event shaped his destiny… forever (dum dum DAAAAAAA!).
Although word has been that Gavin Hood’s stab at Wolverine’s origin has been troubled, we have to say that we continue to like what we see about this movie. And while, the Victorian segments might – might – feature some dodgy acting, it is only a 60-second spot, so let’s not judge too harshly. But this section does seem to hew pretty closely to the Origin graphic novel, which means bone claws, people... not to mention shocking familial revelations!
It also indicates that the young Logan, on the run for murder, teams up with a young ruffian who will grow up to become not only Wolverine nemesis, Sabretooth, but spellcheck nemesis, Liev Schreiber.
This spot is pretty light on Hugh Jackman, but we’re sure that the next two spots – one to air during House, the other during American Idol – will have plenty of the Aussie star being the best there is at what he does.